Spaßbremse

Ted talks to transport researcher Giulio Mattioli about recent transit-related German news, including Germany’s recent efforts to block a measure ending the sale of internal combustion engine cars at the EU-level. You can read more about that here.  For more from Giulio, you can follow him on Twitter: ⁠@giulio_mattioli⁠. Following the interview, we consider a recent article in Der Spiegel that says, come on, give the FDP a break! (Spoiler: we will not be giving the FDP a break.) You can check out that article for yourself here.  -- Co-hosted by Ted (⁠@ted_knudsen⁠) and Michelle (⁠@shhellgames⁠). Produced by Isaac Würmann (⁠@wuermann⁠). Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

We're talking about something a bit different on this episode, and about a time period much earlier than we usually discuss: the witch trials of early-modern Germany. Why? Because it's Witchy Zeit in Germany!  Carnival/Fasching/Fastnacht just happened last month and at the end of April is Walpurgisnacht, also known as Hexenbrennen (witch burning). Michelle and Isaac give a bit of background about these witchy festivals at the start of the episode, before getting into an interview with Dr. Laura Kounine, lecturer in early modern history at the University of Sussex. Dr. Kounine published her book Imagining the Witch: Emotions, Gender and Selfhood in Early Modern Germany in 2018, and has some fascinating insights into the experiences of being put on trial for witchcraft during this period.  You can find more from Dr. Kounine on Twitter: @LauraKounine To learn more about Fasching and Walpurgisnacht, check out these articles we cited:  Fasching: Tracing the Roots of South Germany's 'Dark Carnival' in The Local  Are You Reading for Walpurgisnacht, Germany's Night of Witches? in The Local -- Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Here's a preview of our latest premium episode, where Ted talks about tanks! Specifically, he laments the anglophone media's gratuitous hand-wringing over Germany's alleged reluctance to adequately support Ukraine. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse -- Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

The whole team's back together again to discuss the upcoming repeat election happening in Berlin on Sunday, February 12.  Here's a link to the candidates' debate that we reference throughout the episode: https://www.rbb24.de/politik/hintergrund/livestream-ihre-wahl-kandidatencheck-berlin-abgeordnetenhaus.html  You can check out the latest polls and coalition possibilities here: https://interaktiv.tagesspiegel.de/lab/wahl-wiederholung-abgeordnetenhaus-2023-umfragen-prognosen-analysen-ergebnisse-wahlkarten/ And for some more background to the repeat election, check out this article from Deutsche Welle: https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-gears-up-to-repeat-botched-elections/a-64621620 -- Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

We're joined by journalist Ruairi Casey to talk about the evacuation of the climate protest in Lützerath earlier this month, and what it can tell us about climate politics in Germany. Read the piece Ruairi wrote on this subject here: www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2023/january/in-luetzerath For more from Ruairi, follow him on Twitter: @Ruairi_Casey -- Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Happy (belated) New Year! Here's a short preview of our latest premium episode featuring part two of Ted's interview with Fritz Bartel, Assistant Professor of International Affairs at Texas A&M at the George H. W. Bush School of Government and Public Service, about his new book The Triumph of Broken Promises: The End of the Cold War and the Rise of Neoliberalism. After the interview, Ted and Michelle share some of their reflections.  To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse And make sure to listen to part one of the interview with Professor Bartel if you haven't already! You can find it here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/OPdcBUDmKwb  We'll be back soon with some more episodes on the main feed, including a Wahlupdate about Berlin's repeat state election that's coming up next month. -- Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Back by popular demand, we’re joined by Nathan to talk about this year’s Christmas market scandals! Check out last year’s two-part episode “The Twelve Days of Christmas Market Scandals” for more holiday drama. This year, we’re discussing six different scandals: 1. Not heeding the energy-saving restrictions https://www.insuedthueringen.de/inhalt.eisenach-trotz-energiekrise-weihnachtsmarkt-ohne-einschraenkungen.c3f15953-26ef-4833-9abf-758482dd6cf4.html 2. Tax evasion and not following the receipt obligations https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/2019-12/steuerbetrug-bonpflicht-registrierkassen-haendler-handel-finanzamt?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F 3. Pickpockets in Niedersachsen! https://www.lka.polizei-nds.de/a/presse/pressemeldungen/taschendiebe-unterwegs-auf-weihnachtsmaerkten--polizei-gibt-tipps-114196.html 4. Corrupt allocation of market stalls https://www.welt.de/print/die_welt/hamburg/article11049506/Razzia-in-Rathaus-Korruption-auf-dem-Weihnachtsmarkt.html https://www.sn.at/panorama/oesterreich/marktfahrer-protestieren-gegen-vergabe-der-staende-beim-christkindlmarkt-130281856 5. Nazis https://wo-magazin.de/rechte-nutzen-weihnachtsmarkt-fuer-nazi-propaganda/ https://www.rnd.de/panorama/hakenkreuz-skandal-auf-dem-weihnachtsmarkt-DBVYGVANC6T4MIGQOSVB5E5XGI.html https://www.eimsbuetteler-nachrichten.de/osterstrasse-eimsbuettel-streit-um-nazi-codes-auf-weihnachtsmarkt/ https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/nazi-propaganda-weihnachten-unter-dem-hakenkreuz-100.html 6. Fur being sold at the Weihnachtsmarkt https://www.t-online.de/region/hamburg/id_100093252/hundepelz-skandal-auf-roncalli-weihnachtsmarkt-in-hamburg-stand-musste-schliessen.html Many thanks to Nathan for joining us again this year! You can find him on Twitter if you don’t follow him already: @nthnashma Join us again next year for days 19 - 24 of your Christmas market scandal advent calendar. We’ll also be back in the New Year with some exciting new episodes. Happy holidays! --  Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann).  Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Despite the many controversies—from the deaths of thousands of labourers in horrible working conditions to the corrupt bidding process—the 2022 FIFA World Cup is happening now in Qatar. Instead of focusing on the World Cup, we sat down with journalist Dave Braneck to talk about the politics of German soccer/football. Here are some of the sources we referenced on this episode: Too cool for their own good? Union Berlin’s fight to retain their identity by Kit Holden in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/sep/16/union-berlin-fight-to-retain-identity-bundesliga-book Fan-Owned Clubs Can Help Democratize Football by Dave Braneck in Jacobin: https://jacobin.com/2021/04/fan-owned-clubs-democratization-football-bundesliga-commercialization Dave Braneck on Twitter: @braneck  -- Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Ted talks to Fritz Bartel, Assistant Professor of International Affairs at Texas A&M at the George H. W. Bush School of Government and Public Service, about his new book The Triumph of Broken Promises: The End of the Cold War and the Rise of Neoliberalism. It's a fascinating account of how two processes that we agree happened roughly simultaneously—the end of political tensions between the US and the USSR and the rise of neoliberal policies like financialization and austerity—didn’t just happen to overlap, but that they were deeply connected. You can find Professor Bartel on Twitter: @fritz_bartel. You can learn more about his book here: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674976788 We are posting the first half of Ted's interview with Professor Bartel here on the main feed, and we'll be posting the second half with some commentary from Ted and Michelle over on Patreon very soon. So go check us out on Patreon, if you haven't already: www.patreon.com/spassbremse -- Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Ted chats with the hosts of the Eurotrash podcast: Anton Jäger, Postdoctoral Researcher at KU Leuven and Dominik Leusder, Research Director of the LSE Global Economic Governance Commission. The three discuss all things EU, from the union's economic and political crises, the way these crises get talked about in the media, and how things could have gone differently.  You can find Eurotrash on Twitter @eurotrashpod and listen to them wherever you find podcasts. You can find Anton on Twitter @AntonJaegermm and Dominik on Twitter @NewLeftEViews. Dominik is also Spaßbremse's first three-time guest, you can listen to him on Episode 15 where he discusses German economic policy and on Episode 24 where we he discusses German foreign policy. You can also catch Anton and Dominik on a recent episode of The Dig: Europe w/ Anton Jäger and Dominik Leusder We will be posting Part 2 of Ted's conversation with Anton and Dominik, where they dive into greater detail about the Eurozone, on our Patreon shortly.  Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). -- Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to some bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

A short preview of our latest premium episode, which features part two of Ted's interview with economic sociologist Wolfgang Streeck and reflections from Ted and Michelle on the interview.  To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse And make sure to listen to part one of the interview with Professor Streeck if you haven't already! You can find it here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/JMY8wAnPiub -- Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Ted talks with economic sociologist Wolfgang Streeck, emeritus director at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies in Cologne and one of the leading scholars and commentators on European capitalism. In this exciting conversation, they discuss Germany's foreign policy role in Europe at this moment of the so-called "Zeitenwende."  On this main feed episode, we're releasing the first 45 - 50 minutes of the interview. We'll release the final bit of the interview on our Patreon some time next week, where Ted and Michelle will also be sharing some of their reflections on the conversation. You can subscribe to us on Patreon to get access to this segment: www.patreon.com/spassbremse. These contributions are really significant in helping us keep this show going — from helping us get better gear to allowing us to pay a bit for the amazing space where we record — so we really appreciate all the support! Check out some of these recent posts by Professor Streeck for more of his insights:  "Means of Destruction," published on Sidecare on July 2, 2022 "Pipe Dreams," published on Sidecar on September 12, 2022 "The End of the German Empire," published on Brave New Europe on August 28, 2022 "Strategic Desperation," published on Brave New Europe on September 11, 2022 -- Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

A short preview of our latest premium episode, in which Ted and Michelle dive into the history of Germany's love affair with sparkling water -- or Sprudelwasser, auf Deutsch -- and sample an assortment of bubbly offerings with the most Sprudel-pilled guy out there, Nick from Corner Späti. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse If you're not able to support us monetarily right now, we totally get it! We'll be back soon with another full-length episode.

We're moving on from trains to talk about what is by far the most dominant mode of transport in Germany: the car. What is it about Germany's history that paved the way for such a pervasive car culture, and what's up with the Autobahn?? Luckily, we have a great guest who recently published a book on exactly these questions. Dr. Conrad Kunze is a researcher at the Research Centre for Sustainability at FU Berlin and author of Deutschland als Autobahn: Eine Kulturgeschichte von Männlichkeit, Moderne und Nationalismus (English translation: Germany as Autobahn: A Cultural History of Masculinity, Modernity and Nationalism).  You can read Conrad's book here: https://www.transcript-verlag.de/978-3-8376-5943-6/deutschland-als-autobahn/ Conrad is also part of an anti-Autobahn climate camp that's taking place **right now** in the village of Gimritz. You can learn more about that initiative here: http://klimacamp-saaletal.de/en/ Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). -- Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to bonus episodes. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

We return from our Sommerpause to talk about one of the things dominating conversations in Germany over the past few months: trains! From inter-Europe rail travel to Deutsche Bahn woes to the 9-Euro-Ticket, Ted goes through it all with Jon Worth, a Berlin-based writer and communications consultant who has been documenting his experience crossing every possible internal European border by train this summer. Follow Jon on Twitter: @jonworth. To learn more about Jon’s cross-border rail experience: https://www.capital.de/wirtschaft-politik/jon-worth--vom-brexit-kritiker-zum-bahn-enthusiast-31978856.html To learn more about the end and potential future of the 9-Euro-Ticket: https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/9-euro-ticket-bundesregierung-streitet-ueber-preis-fuer-nachfolger-a-74230b3c-9492-4bf8-9bb1-818d87a96bf8 To learn more about Bavaria’s reluctance to pay for a successor to the 9-Euro-Ticket: https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/nachfolger-fuer-9-euro-ticket-bayern-will-nicht-zahlen,TGYi8I0 Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). -- Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to bonus episodes. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

First, thanks to our listeners who have been so patient with us as we have been taking a little Sommerpause. Some of us have been travelling, some of us have have COVID, and it's been taking a little longer than usual to put a new episode out. That's why we're unlocking one of our premium episodes that was published on our Patreon back in April. The episode is part two of our series we've been doing on Patreon about Germany's border regions; on this episode we talk about the modern German-Polish border, aka the Oder-Neiße Line.  For some more reading on this topic, here are some of the sources we cited on this episode: Gott behüte from Der Spiegel on May 3, 1970 Kohl riskierte seine Kanzlerschaft für deutsch-polnische Grenzfrage by Klaus Wiegrefe for Der Spiegel on July 23, 2021 Kohl Retreats, Says He Accepts Polish Borders : Europe: Warsaw cautiously welcomes the news. West Germany will propose a formal treaty Thursday. by William Tuohy for the LA Times on March 7, 1990 Waigel: Oder-Neiße- Grenze bitterer Preis from TAZ on June 25, 1990 Die Ziele der NPD? Österreich, Polen, Tschechien, Russland, Litauen from Die Zeit on December 17, 2007 And here's a link to Ted's Twitter thread from February that was mentioned several times, featuring some pretty astounding CDU election posters: https://twitter.com/ted_knudsen/status/1496103102537252865 To hear the rest of the Spaßbremse Grenzen series, subscribe to us on Patreon! We have other episodes discussing the histories of the German-Czech border, the German-Danish border, and the German-French border.  -- Co-hosted by Michelle and Ted. Produced by Isaac. Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider. Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter: @spassbremse_pod.

A short preview of our latest premium episode, in which Ted and Michelle round out our Spaßbremse Grenzen series by discussing the Alsace-Lorraine region on the France-German border. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse If you're not able to support us monetarily right now, we totally get it! We'll be back soon with another full-length episode.

The far-right Alternative für Deutschland could soon have its own state-funded political foundation called the Desiderius Erasmus Stiftung (DES). We speak with freelance journalist Ruairi Casey about why this matters, and ask him what the deal is with all these political Stiftungen anyway.  Read Ruairi's recent article in Foreign Policy on the subject: Germany May Soon Pay Millions to Far-Right Operatives  And follow Ruairi on Twitter for more from him! @Ruairi_Casey Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). -- Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Pride Month in North America may have just ended, but here in Germany the local Pride festivals — or "Christopher Street Days" — are just beginning. To talk about the complicated history of Germany's queer movements, we're joined on this episode by writer and historian Ben Miller, co-host of the podcast Bad Gays and co-author of the book Bad Gays: A Homosexual History, which just came out last month.  To learn more about Ben's podcast and book, check out www.badgayspod.com. If you’re in Berlin, you can join Ben and Bad Gays co-author Huw Lemmey at Prinz Eisenherz on Tuesday, July 5th at 8:30 p.m.! For more from Ben, check out his Twitter: @benwritesthings. You can also learn more about the Schwules Museum, the Gay Museum in Berlin where Ben is on the board, at www.schwulesmuseum.de. Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). -- Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

On our thirtieth episode on the main feed (!!) we have an interview that Ted did with historian Jan Tattenberg about the "clean Wehrmacht" myth, or the idea that members of the German Wehrmacht were not complicit in the crimes and atrocities of the Holocaust. Ted and Jan go into quite a bit of detail about why this myth doesn't hold water, so we have abut 45 minutes of their conversation on this episode, and you can listen to the rest over on our Patreon (www.patreon.com/spassbremse).   For more from Jan, you can read his piece in 1/200 about German rearmament: https://www.1of200.nz/articles/germany-rearms You can (and should!) also follow him on Twitter: @jantattenberg  Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). -- Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Ted and Michelle sit down with journalist David de Jong to talk about his new book, Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany's Wealthiest Dynasties.  Longtime listeners will know that this is a recurring subject on Spaßbremse. You can listen to our three-part series about the history of some specific Nazi businesses on Patreon: Pt. 1: Nazi Pizzas, Pt. 2: Nazi Soda, Pt. 3: Nazi Washing Machines For more on this subject, you can of course read David's book, which you can order from the publisher here.   You can also read his guest essay in the New York Times, called "They Are the Heirs of Nazi Fortunes, and They Aren't Apologizing," and you can find David on Twitter: @davidthejong.  Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). -- Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

A short preview of our latest premium episode, in which we discuss the beloved German "Mittelstand" and why your favourite family-owned screw company might not be as cool and relatable as you think.  To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse If you're not able to support us monetarily right now, we totally get it! We'll be back in a few days with another full-length episode. 

It's Spargelzeit! For those of you lucky enough to be unfamiliar, that's the time of year when Germany's most prized vegetable — the white asparagus — is in season. On this episode, we try to get in the mind of the Germans to understand their obsession with this mediocre dish by sitting down with some Spargel and Schnitzel. We give a bit of background to the German Spargelkult before speaking with Benjamin Luig, the branch coordinator for agriculture at IG Bau's Initiative for Fair Work in Agriculture as well as at Fair Mobility, to talk about the labour conditions for the seasonal workers who pick our asparagus and other fruits and vegetables.  For further reading on this subject:  Der Spargelkult muss enden by Margarete Stokowski in Der Spiegel (Keen listeners will recognize this phrase from the intro to our podcast, which features Christian Lindner reacting to this column)  Keine Dumpinglöhne für Geflüchtete by Szabolcs Sepsi in Jacobin Ernten ohne Versicherung by Nelli Tügel in Der Freitag  Corona-Ausbruch: Über 100 Covid-19-Fälle auf Spargelbetrieb by Katharina Krenn in agrarheute  The Queens of Asparagus by Ben Miller for Arts of the Working Class You can also follow the work of Fair Mobility on Facebook and Twitter.  Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). -- Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

As we celebrate May Day, we’re asking: Why do things keep getting worse for so many workers around the world? For one answer to that question, we look at the neoliberalisation of formerly “left-wing” parties such as the SPD. To walk us through this history, Ted spoke with Stephanie Mudge, a professor of sociology at the University of California at Davis. In 2018, she published Leftism Reinvented: Western Parties from Socialism to Neoliberalism, which analyses the history of four parties in particular: the Swedish Social Democrats, the British Labour Party, the American Democrats and, of course, our very own German SPD.  For more from Stephanie Mudge, check out her article from last year in Phenomenal World, which is referenced a number of times in this episode, called "Democracy of the Market." You can also follow her on Twitter: @stephaniemudge. Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). -- Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

A short preview of our latest premium episode, in which Ted and Isaac discuss the Danish-German border. This is part 3 of our ongoing series "Spaßbremse Grenzen" about the histories and legacies of Germany's borders.  To listen to the full episode and all other premium episodes — including parts 1 and 2 of our Grenzen series, in which we discuss the Czech-German and Polish-German borders — support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse If you're not able to support us monetarily right now, we totally get it! We'll be back in a few days with a full length episode on the main feed.

They're the largest ethnic group in the United States but remain relatively invisible, despite contributions that include beer, kindergartens, and Kissinger (oops). That's right, we're talking German Americans on this episode, joined by special guest Matt Christman of Chapo Trap House. How, when, and where did Germans immigrate in such huge numbers, what makes them different from other white ethnic groups in the United States, and what are some peculiarities of German Americans today?  You can of course listen to more of Matt over on Chapo Trap House (www.chapotraphouse.com) and you can find him on Twitter @cushbomb. Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). -- Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Transport researcher Giulio Mattioli returns to talk about the ongoing debates over introducing a "Spritpreisbremse"—a limit on the price of fuel—in Germany.  To hear more from Giulio, you can follow him on Twitter: @giulio_mattioli. He also has a recent book chapter out on transport poverty and car dependence. Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). -- Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

We have on repeat guest Dominik Leusder, researcher at the economic policy thinktank Dezernat Zukunft and the London School of Economics, to react to the developing situation of sanctions on Russia in the wake of the country's invasion of Ukraine last week. Sources referenced on this episode include:  America's Generation Gap on Ukraine by Peter Beinart and Russia's Financial Meltdown and the Global Dollar System by Adam Tooze You can also listen to our previous episode with Dominik here: Zombie-Ideologien und das Inflationsmonster (German economic policy w/ Dominik Leusder) Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). Thank so much to everyone who is supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse  Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

A short preview of our latest premium episode, in which we try to wrap our heads around the rapid changes to Germany's foreign policy since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Featuring a short conversation with Julia Wiedemann of Die Linke's foreign policy department which was recorded prior to the invasion. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse If you're not able to support us monetarily right now, we totally get it! We'll be back in a few days with part four of our foreign policy series, when Dominik Leusder will join us again to talk about sanctions.

We continue our series on German foreign policy with an interview with Hans Kundnani (@hanshundnani), director of the Europe Programme at Chatham House and author of the book The Paradox of German Power.  On this episode, Hans references two books: Oliver Nachtwey's Die Abstiegsgesellschaft: Über das Aufbegehren in der regressiven Moderne and Peo Hansen and Stefan Jonsson's Eurafrica: The Untold History of European Integration and Colonialism. Ted also references Hans' recent article in The Guardian, called "Europe's reputation as a cosmopolitan haven has been exposed as a mirage."  You can find more of Hans' work on his website: https://hanskundnani.com/ Co-hosted by Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames). Produced by Isaac (@wuermann). Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse  Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

On the first episode of our (long-awaited) German foreign policy series, Ted (@ted_knudsen) sits down with Berlin journalist James Jackson (@derJamesJackson) to talk about why the British and American liberals are mad at Germany. They talk about Ukraine, of course, and end with what may be a Spaßbremse first…  Read James’ piece in Jacobin here: https://jacobinmag.com/2022/02/germany-nato-russia-putin-ukraine-tensions-weapons-export-war  Co-hosted by Michelle (@shhellgames) and produced by Isaac (@wuermann).  Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

A short preview of our latest premium episode, where we discuss the changes to East German universities in the wake of reunification. Featuring an interview with Markus Kienscherf, junior professor of sociology at the JFK Institute of North American Studies at FU Berlin. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse If you're not able to support us monetarily right now, we totally get it! We'll be back in a few days with another full-length episode for the main podcast feed.

Ted, Michelle, and Isaac answer some listener questions to start off the new year! We will be having our second live show ***tomorrow (Jan. 23)*** with our friends at Corner Späti at Donau 115 in Neukölln. Join us at 7:30 p.m. as we celebrate (mourn?) the death of 2021. For more details, see the Facebook event page: https://fb.me/e/315PJyXpt Some of the sources cited in this episode: Why Germany Needs to Accelerate into the Digital Fast Lane by Guy Chazan for the Financial Times Germany: Four Out of 10 Companies Still Use Fax Machines by Darko Janjevic for Deutsche Welle The Fax is Dead, Long Live the Fax by Brian Hanrahan for Handelsblatt German Village’s Painfully Slow Internet Quickly Becomes a Major Problem by Janosch Delcker Ist unser Fernseher so schlecht, wie alle sagen? By N. Bodgon, M. Niehus and Ch. Seidl for Bild Germany’s Love Affair with Crime Fiction by Thomas Kniesche for Foreign Policy Berlinale Blog: Why is German TV So Crap? by Ben Knight for Exberliner Expats Beware: Germany Uses Dodgy Taxes to Snatch Church Tax by Grace Dobush for Handelsblatt Leaving the Church in Germany: ‘A Liberation’ by Christoph Strack for Deutsche Welle Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

While we work on putting together some great new episodes for 2022, here's a premium episode we first released on the Patreon back in November to tide you over. On this episode, producer Isaac joins Michelle and Ted to talk about the Nazi history of some notable German companies. You can listen to parts 2 and 3 of this series by subscribing to our Patreon. For some of our sources cited on this episode: Bayer From the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Victor Grossman in People's World on 22 September 2016: Bayer-Monsanto merger can't erase Nazi chemists' past  Hugo Boss Abridged version of the company's own history, published in 2011 From the BBC on 21 September 2011: Hugo Boss apology for Nazi past as book is published  Dr. Oetker From Deutsche Welle on 22 October 2013: Another German company reveals its Nazi past  Zafar Hassan for VICE on 18 October 2013: Will you boycott Dr. Oetker now you know it has a Nazi history?  Finally, the horrifying photo of the Dr. Oetker headquarters in Bielefeld decked out in a swastika and a portrait of Hitler himself, from Bielefelds-Westliche.de. Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider. Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter: @spassbremse_pod.

After a few more mugs of Glühwein, we round out our twelve days of Christmas market scandals with some Schwabenhass and culture wars. Thanks so much to Nathan for joining us on this episode to share his expertise as a local entrepreneur and thought leader. For more of Nathan, you can find him on Twitter at @nthnashma. You can also find his second-hand furniture curation and recommendations at @furnforall.  If you'd like to read up on the scandals discussed in this episode:  Polizei löst illegalen Weihnachtsmarkt auf - über 100 Besucher - https://www.kn-online.de/Kiel/Steuerbetrug-auf-Weihnachtsmarkt-Kiel-Gluehwein-floss-am-Finanzamt-vorbei Weihnachtsmarkt Kiel: Glühwein floss am Finanzamt vorbei - https://www.kn-online.de/Kiel/Steuerbetrug-auf-Weihnachtsmarkt-Kiel-Gluehwein-floss-am-Finanzamt-vorbei "Da ist er ja, der Nazi-Nikolaus!" - https://www.sueddeutsche.de/bayern/muehldorf-da-ist-er-ja-der-nazi-nikolaus-1.3259629 Schwabenhass in Düsseldorf - https://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.weihnachtsmarkt-vor-breuninger-dependance-schwabenhass-in-duesseldorf.2e7ff1b6-beab-4763-8b22-d79b9b024b8d.html Rassismusvorwurf: Weihnachtsmarkt ohne "Zwarte Pieten" - https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/blackfacing-in-potsdam-rassismusvorwurf-weihnachtsmarkt-ohne-zwarte-pieten/12476260.html Hetze im Netz: Warum heißt der Weihnachtsmarkt jetzt "Lichtermarkt"? - https://www.nw.de/blogs/games_und_netzwelt/21978505_Hetze-im-Netz-Warum-der-Weihnachtsmarkt-jetzt-Lichtermarkt-heisst.html -  We also have an announcement about an upcoming live show! We will be teaming up again with our friends at Corner Späti for a live show on January 9 to celebrate(?) the new traffic light coalition and Scholz cabinet. We had planned on having the show at Donau115, the same bar in Neukölln where we hosted our election night live show, but recent restrictions in Berlin mean we'll likely have to move the event online. Watch this space! - Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

To celebrate the holiday season in true Spaßbremse style, we convened a panel with Nathan (@nthnashma) to walk you through the twelve days of Christmas market scandals, from selling Glühwein to minors in Frankfurt to tax evasion in Kiel. We were drinking some Glühwein (mit Schuss!) ourselves and as we went through the twelve days we went on more and more tangents, so this episode only gets through days one through six. You can look forward to days seven through twelve of Christmas market scandals on Christmas Day. If you want to read more about the scandals discussed on this episode yourselves:  Glühwein für 13-Jährige! - https://www.bild.de/regional/frankfurt/weihnachtsmarkt/gluehwein-fuer-13-jaehrige-33654140.bild.html Wiener empört über Gebäck-Schwindel auf Weihnachtsmarkt - https://www.heute.at/s/wiener-empoert-ueber-schwindel-gebaeck-auf-weihnachtsmarkt-100174643 Vergaberecht beim Weihnachtsmarkt missachtet - https://www.wz.de/nrw/krefeld/krefeld-vergaberecht-beim-weihnachtsmarkt-missachtet_aid-53940451 Die Konkurrenz der Glühweinkönige - https://rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/duesseldorf/duesseldorfer-weihnachtsmarkt-konkurrenz-der-gluehweinkoenige_aid-64352431  31.000 Euro Miete für Lagerung von Weihnachtshütten - https://www.heute.at/s/wiener-empoert-ueber-schwindel-gebaeck-auf-weihnachtsmarkt-100174643 Der „Romantische Weihnachtsmarkt“ in Regensburg bleibt geschlossen: Söder teilt gegen Veranstalter aus - https://www.merkur.de/bayern/regensburg/regensburg-romantische-weihnachtsmarkt-corona-soeder-gericht-schliessung-veranstalter-zr-91169264.html - Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

A short preview of our fourth premium episode, where we round out our three-part series about German companies during the Third Reich.  To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse If you're not able to support us monetarily right now, we totally get it! We'll be back in a few days with another full-length episode for the main podcast feed.

This week, Ted (@ted_knudsen) interviews TU Dortmund transport researcher Giulio Mattioli about German transport and climate policy in light of the recent traffic light coalition agreement and the COP 26 climate summit.  To hear more from Giulio, you can follow him on Twitter: @giulio_mattioli. He also has a recent book chapter out on transport poverty and car dependence.  Co-hosted by Michelle (@shhellgames) and produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

What's with the bizarre obsession that some Germans have with Indigenous people from North America? Every year, thousands of Germans gather to dress up and play "Indianer"—or at least their imagined, naive stereotype of what it's like to be a First Nations person—complete with appropriated powwow dances, regalia, and living in tipis. On this episode, Ted, Michelle, and Isaac go through some of the darker history of this phenomenon, and Ted and Isaac interview Drew Hayden Taylor, a Canadian writer from the Curve Lake First Nation. A few years ago, Drew made a documentary for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation called "Searching for Winnetou," in which he visits some of the "Indian hobbyist" communities in Germany to see firsthand what it's all about.  You can find Drew Hayden Taylor's documentary "Searching for Winnetou" here: https://www.cbc.ca/cbcdocspov/episodes/searching-for-winnetou And you can learn more about Drew and his work on his website: http://www.drewhaydentaylor.com/ There's also a great documentary from the New York Times called "Native Fantasy: Germany's Indian Heroes" that you can find on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcuyYUgFMd0 On this episode, we cited from the following sources:  "The Role of the Romantic West in Shaping the Third Reich" by W. Raymond Wood: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25668974?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents "Germany's Obsession with American Indians is Touching—And Occasionally Surreal" by Red Haircrow for Indian Country Today: https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/germanys-obsession-with-american-indians-is-touchingand-occasionally-surreal "Why Germany can't quit its racist Native American problem" from Deutsche Welle :https://www.dw.com/en/why-germany-cant-quit-its-racist-native-american-problem/a-52546068 "Karl May museum returns Native American human scalp" from Deutsche Welle: https://www.dw.com/en/karl-may-museum-returns-native-american-human-scalp/a-57181103 Produced by Isaac Würmann. Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

A short preview of our third premium episode, where Ted, Michelle, and Isaac talk about the Nazi history of three more German companies. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse If you're not able to support us monetarily right now, we totally get it! We'll be back in a few days with another full-length episode for the main podcast feed.

To celebrate (???) the traffic light coalition agreement and Christian Lindner's ascension to Finance Minister, we're unlocking our first Patreon Premium episode, in which Ted and Michelle talk us through Lindner's rise to prominence. We also released an episode on Oct. 31 (15 - Zombie-Ideologien und das Inflationsmonster) in which Ted interviews Dominik Leusder from the London School of Economics and Dezernat Zukunft about what a Lindner-led Finance Ministry might look like (god help us all). Give it a listen, if you haven't already! It's also worth noting that the coalition agreement announced plans to repeal Section 219a of the Criminal Code, which prohibits doctors from advertising abortion services. To learn more about that, and other ways abortion remains criminalized in Germany, check out our most recent episode (16 - Weg mit §218!), in which Michelle inteviews Kate Cahoon of the Bündnis für sexuelle Selbstbestimmung and Stephanie Schlitt of Pro Familia. This episode's reading is courtesy of Politico: Christian Lindner - The Radical from their 2018 list of "the 28 people who are shaping, shaking and stirring Europe." To see some of the incredible Lindner photos mocked on this episode, check out the biography page on his website. You can find the oft-mentioned TV spot from 1997 about the young Lindner's ad business on YouTube. Produced by Isaac Würmann. Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider. Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter: @spassbremse_pod.

This week, Michelle (@shhellgames) digs into the criminalization of abortion in Germany. In a Spaßbremse first, she interviews two (2!!) fantastic guests — Kate Cahoon (@katecahoon) of the Bündnis für sexuelle Selbstbestimmung and Stephanie Schlitt (@StSchlitt) of Pro Familia. SIGN THE PETITION TO REPEAL §218 Get involved with the “Weg mit 218” campaign: https://wegmit218.de/ To learn more about the Bündnis für sexuelle Selbstbestimmung, you can visit their website: https://www.sexuelle-selbstbestimmung.de/ or follow them on Twitter @ProChoice_DE And for more about Pro Familia and their counseling centers, you can visit: https://www.profamilia.de/ or find them on Twitter @profamilia_bv Check out Kate’s article in the Local DE from 2018 here Read the Euronews article Michelle and Ted (@ted_knudsen) discuss here.  Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

A short preview of our second premium episode, where Isaac joins Michelle and Ted to talk about the Nazi history of some notable German companies.  To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse If you're not able to support us monetarily right now, we totally get it! We'll be back next week with another full-length episode for the main podcast feed.

Just in time for Halloween, an interview about the biggest boogeyman in Germany: inflation! Ted (@ted_knudsen) sits down with Dominik Leusder (@NewLeftEViews) of the London School of Economics and economic policy think-tank Dezernat Zukunft to talk about what the aftermath of last month's German elections means for German politics, economics, and the European Union. This episode ties together some ideas and themes discussed in previous Spaßbremse episodes about Hartz IV and the debt brake, so we'd recommend you listen to those if you haven't already for some background.  Before getting into the interview, Ted and Michelle (@shhellgames) can't help but do a short reading from a recent Deutsche Welle article about FDP leader Christian Lindner, who we discussed in greater detail on our first Patreon premium episode released last week.  Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). Thank so much to everyone who has already started supporting us on Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

A short preview of our first premium bonus episode, where Michelle and Ted talk about one of the most exciting, innovative, and dynamisch people in German politics: the one and only Christian Lindner, leader of the FDP and likely next German finance minister. To listen to the full episode, support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/spassbremse If you're not able to support us monetarily right now, we totally get it! We'll be back next week with another full-length episode for the main podcast feed.

It's Tee trinken time! Hosts Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) are joined by producer Isaac (@wuermann) and friend of the pod Alice (@aalicerrose) to talk about Germans' bizarre obsession with alternative medicines such as homeopathy and anthroposophy.  The articles referenced on this episode are:  - Homeopathy doesn't work. So why do so many Germans believe in it? by Sami Emory in Bloomberg  - Ginger root and meteorite dust: The Steiner 'Covid cures' offered in Germany by Philip Oltermann in the Guardian  On this episode we also announced our new Patreon! We'll still be publishing full-length episodes twice monthly available on our main podcast feed, but Patreon supporters will also get access to a couple bonus episodes per month. It's a tough time out there so we totally understand if you don't have the capacity to support right now, but if you're able we'd really appreciate you becoming a subscriber. All the details here: www.patreon.com/spassbremse Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

What's behind Die Linke's abysmal 4.9% result in Germany's latest federal election? Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) conduct their own post-mortem with Alex Brentler (@full_enjoyment) and Loren Balhorn (@fraubalhorn) from Jacobin Germany.  Sources: Alex Brentler with an election post-mortem for Die Linke Loren Balhorn on Die Linke's lack of pre-election strategy Quinn Slobodian on the "Aufstehen" movement Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

After recovering from their election night hangovers, Spaßbremse hosts Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) sit down with Julia (@KMarxiana), Nick (@sternburgpapi) and Ciarán (@ciarandold) from Corner Späti to hash out the results. Why did die Linke do so poorly? Will Christian Lindner finally become finance minister? Will your Deutsche Wohnen-owned apartment be socialized as soon as the Giffey cabinet takes office? You'll have to listen to find out!  Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann).  Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Hosts Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) are joined by Spaßbremse producer Isaac (@wuermann) to go over the final polls and debates before tomorrow's election.  Join us tomorrow to watch the results! We'll be hanging out with our friends from the Corner Späti podcast at Donau115 in Neukölln from 17:30. Apparently there will be prizes! For more info, check out the Facebook event page. Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames) sit down with Nick (@sternburgpapi) and Ciarán (@ciarandold) from Corner Späti (@cornerspaeti) to break down the major parties in the lead-up to the September 26 elections. Tangents include Armin Laschet's Instagram influencer son and the FDP's bisexual lighting.  Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). On election night we'll be hanging out again with the Corner Späti crew, this time for our first live show! Join us at Donau115 in Neukölln from 17:30 as we make fun of politicians and collectively groan as the results roll in. For more info, check out the Facebook event page. Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

If you live in Berlin or have visited the city in the past few months, you've undoubtedly seen the purple and yellow posters of the Deutsche Wohnen & Co. enteignen referendum campaign lining the streets of every Kiez. With the referendum vote coming up in less than two weeks (!!), Spaßbremse co-host Michelle (@shhellgames) sits down with campaign organizer Thomas McGath (@tamcgath) to discuss what expropriating private landlords could mean for Berlin. Ahead of the interview, Ted (@ted_knudsen) joins Michelle to give a bit of context about housing politics in Berlin.  Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann).  To learn more about the campaign, check out this piece that Spaßbremse producer Isaac wrote for Slate back in May. This episode also references a report called "Who owns the city?" published by the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung earlier this year. Thomas himself also wrote an op-ed about housing politics in Berliner Zeitung. On election night (September 26th), we'll also be doing our first live show with fellow podcasters Corner Späti! Join us at Donau115 in Neukölln. We'll be there from 17:30 making fun of politicians and collectively groaning as the results roll in. For more info, check out the Facebook event page. Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

What's with the Schuldenbremse and the Schwarze Null? Ted interviews Philippa Sigl-Glöckner (@PhilippaSigl), director of the economic policy think-tank Dezernat Zukunft, about German politicians' aversion to running deficits and how that affects people's lives in Germany and beyond. Following the interview, Ted (@ted_knudsen) and Michelle (@shhellgames) read a piece by Wolfgang Schäuble published earlier this year in the Financial Times so you don't have to. Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). To learn more about Philippa and Dezernat Zukunft, check out their website (www.dezernatzukunft.org) or follow them on Twitter (@DezernatZ).  In a few weeks, we'll also be doing our first live show with fellow podcasters Corner Späti! Join us at Donau115 in Neukölln on September 26th for election night. We'll be there from 17:30 making fun of politicians and collectively groaning as the results roll in. For more info, check out the Facebook event page.  Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

On this episode of Spaßbremse, Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) dive into the myth of Angela Merkel, the so-called "leader of the free world." As we enter into the final month before the Sept. 26 election that will choose her successor, let's talk about how Merkel became such a beloved figure around the world, while at the same time forcing through an austerity agenda, dropping the ball on climate policy, and creating a more unequal Germany. Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). To read up on some of the finer details discussed in this episode, check out these links: - Has Angela Merkel Lived Up to Her 'Climate Chancellor' Aspirations? published by Deutsche Welle  - Kanzlerin Merkel, Klimaschutz und Katastrophen published by Deutsche Welle  - Sechs Mythen über Merkel published by taz - Die frühen Jahre der Angela Merkel by Richard Herzinger for Welt  - A Problem with Democracy, an extract from Wolfgang Streeck's book How Will Capitalism End? published by Verso  - Overrated—Now Fading by Wolfgang Münchau in EuroIntelligence  - The Merkel Effect, an interview with Oliver Nachtwey in Jacobin Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

In the final installment of our series of German reunification, Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) discuss the ways East Germany continues to be (mis)remembered in popular and political culture. Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). To read up on some of the finer details discussed in this episode, check out these links: - A Second Life for Socialist Realism by Magdalena Moskalewicz  - Judging the Past in Unified Germany by A. James McAdams Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

In the third installment of this series, Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) interview American journalist Victor Grossman about his experience defecting to East German in the early 1950s and living through German reunification. Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann) with help this week from Tom Wills (@tomwills).  To learn more about Victor, check out his two books:  Crossing the River: A Memoir of the American Left, the Cold War, and Life in East Germany A Socialist Defector: From Harvard to Karl-Marx-Allee And check out Victor's Berlin Bulletin on theleftberlin.com.  Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

In this second instalment of a three-part series, Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) discuss the economic impacts of Treuhand and the mass privatization of East German enterprises, and challenge the "Aufbau Ost" narrative that positions reunification as the saviour of the East German economy. Stay tuned for the final part of this series, where we'll hear from someone who experienced this moment in history firsthand. Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.

Ted (@ted_knudsen) interviews Alex Brentler (@full_enjoyment) of @jacobinmag_de on the recent flooding, the history of climate politics in Germany, the contradictions of the German Greens, and the prospects for a break from the coal-reliant German energy system. Then, Ted and Michelle (@shhellgames) embark on Spaßbreme's first reading series, dissecting a bizarre take on on why emergency warnings are useless. Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). Part 2 of our reunification series will air next Friday.  To read up on the topics discussed in this episode, check out these links: - Alex's piece in Jacobin Germany: "Neoliberalism Won’t Take Real Action to Stop Climate Change" -Our reading series piece in Deutsche Welle: "Germany's know-it-all attitude after the floods helps no one" -Adam Tooze on the legacy of the Yellow Vest movement in France and the political prospects for climate action in Europe: "Chartbook Newsletter #27 Gilets Jaunes"

In this first installment of a three-part series, Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) guide us through the messy months in 1989 and 1990 that resulted in the unified Germany that we know today, and pose the question: Was it really a unification, or rather an annexation? Stay tuned for part two of this series, where we'll hear from someone who experienced this moment in history firsthand. Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann).  Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.  To read up on some of the finer details discussed in this episode, check out these links:  - East Germany's Shock Therapy: An interview with Christa Luft by Max Trecker in Jacobin  - The Economic Anschluss of the GDR by Rachel Knaebel and Pierre Rimbert in Le Monde Diplomatique 

The first episode of Spaßbremse is here, and Michelle (@shhellgames) and Ted (@ted_knudsen) are discussing Hartz IV—aka Arbeitslosengeld II—the controversial reforms to unemployment benefits introduced by Gerhard Schröder's SPD-Green coalition government in the early 2000s. Produced by Isaac Würmann (@wuermann). Music by Lee Rosevere. Art by Franziska Schneider.  To learn more about Hartz IV, here are some links to articles and studies cited in this episode:  -German Deunificaton: An interview with Ingar Solty by Darko Vujica in the Monthly Review -The Low Wage Sector in Germany is Larger than Previously Assumed by Markus M. Grabka and Carsten Schröder for the German Institute for Economic Research -Which is worse? by Adam Tooze in the London Review of Books

Hosts Michelle and Ted tell us about what to expect on Spaßbremse, including a fair share of gripes about how Germany is portrayed in English-language media.  Music by Lee Rosevere.